Genoa – A little piece of the Argentine Superclasico will move to Ferraris on Saturday evening. Genoa-Fiorentinaa match that marks the Grifone’s return to Serie A after just one year in the cadetteria, will also be the challenge between Mateo Retegui and Lucas Beltrantwo center forwards who come from Argentina and who have goals in their blood.
The rossoblù Tiger King, even if he only had time to make his debut in the first team with the Boca Juniors shirt, has always declared, even to Secolo XIX, that the awareness of wanting to become a professional footballer has matured precisely in the period he played and trained in the youth sector of the “Xeneizes”. The new signing of Fiorentina, on the other hand, made himself known to the general public with the shirt of River Plate, the company from which he was bought for 25 million eurosthe second most expensive signing in Viola history after Nico Gonzalez (the money was spent on him 27 million).
In Genoa-Fiorentina, therefore, there will also be a dash of Boca-River, with two of the most promising strikers on the field who have decided to leave South America to make the big leap to Europe this summer on the transfer market. Retegui with 19 goals won the title of top scorer in the Argentine league while Beltran with his goals dragged River to the win number 38. “I know him as a player, but not in person – Retegui said speaking of Beltran – I know that he is a very strong goalscorer and that by coming to Italy he has decided to take a big step for his career”.
Until now, the two have challenged each other at a distance with goals. Retegui in 94 Argentine league games he scored 38 goals while Beltran, his junior by 2 years, in 68 matches of Primera Division he scored 17 goals. Furthermore, there are already three matches in which the two have challenged each other on the pitch and the balance is equal: one victory, one draw and one defeat. Furthermore, for the rossoblù center forward, there are 12 appearances in the Copa Sudamericana in which he scored 1 goal and an assist while Beltran also had the opportunity to make his debut in the Libertadores, for a total of 17 games, 3 goals and 2 assists.
There are several things in common between the two strikers, starting with their role. Even if they have different physiques (Retegui is taller), both are first strikers, center forwards who are the reference for the team. Furthermore, both Retegui and Beltran, in addition to having demonstrated as true strikers that they have the killer instinct when they are put in a position to score, they are also good at sending their teammates on goal.
Among the points of contact between the two forwards, there is also that of having trained in football in the youth sectors of the two Argentine clubs who then launched them into the football that counts. Beltran, born in Cordoba, was noticed playing as a very young man with the Instituto. A common history that he has with a compatriot who has been playing in Italy for some time and with whom he is linked by a friendship: Paulo Dybala. The current Roma striker tried to act as a talent scout to convince him to move to the capital but in the end Fiorentina was quicker to buy him.
After his time with the Instituto, Beltran, aged just 14, moved to the youth academy of Los Millonarios. Powerful striker but also skilled in the straits, like Retegui, Beltran also brought his nickname from Argentina. They call “The Viking”not only because it is reddish but also because it is very cold in front of the door.
But there is another thing that binds the two and that could potentially see them opposed: the national team shirt. In fact, Beltran too has a double passport, Argentine and Italian, and could potentially be taken into consideration by the future Italy coach: with the Albiceleste jersey he did not go beyond the Under 20.
«He too could play for Italy but I can’t give him any advice – said the rossoblù centre-forward – he is a decision that must be made by him and his family. I made this choice because I have Italian roots and right now I feel Italian». In the list of special observed natives from which the now former coach of the national team found the rossoblù striker, there was also Beltran but in the end the choice fell on Retegui because at that moment he was considered more mature to make his debut in the national team.
In the future, however, the two could also find themselves competing for the shirt National. It will depend on the new technical commissioner but above all on how many goals they will be able to score in Serie A. Beltran has recently arrived at Fiorentina and, precisely against Genoa, he is destined to make his debut in Italy, even if the match is underway. Retegui, on the other hand, has already shown what he’s made of and after his record-breaking brace in the Italian Cup, like a true striker, he also wants to leave his mark on his debut in Serie A.
#Tiger #Retegui #Beltran #GenoaViola #Superclasico #style